A Ripple in the Pond
by Phoenix1001
Summary: Not long after the war ends, Harry, along with Kingsley, Ron, and Hermione, visit the Dursleys. What does Harry tell them of the war? What are the Dursley’s reactions? Warnings: One usage of racial profanity; slash; HP/KS, RW/HG, VD/PE. See summary inside
1. Meeting with the Dursleys

Story summary: Not long after the war ends, Harry, along with Kingsley, Ron, and Hermione, visit the Dursleys. What does Harry tell them of the war? What are the Dursley's reactions? Warnings: One usage of racial profanity; slash; HP/KS, RW/HG, VD/PE. In response to Howldaloom's P&S challenge "Ripples in the Pond".

**A Ripple in the Pond**

_By Phoenix1001_

Number Four Privet Drive was a house just like every other house on Privet Drive. It had the same small yard, the same red-brick façade, and the same tiny flower garden along the front of the house. However, the residents of Number Four had a secret that made them as different as can be from their neighbours. The family, Dursley was their surname, were related to a wizard.

Now, they had hidden this fact well throughout the years. Even when Mrs. Dursley's sister had gone and got herself killed and they had to take in Harry Potter, Mrs. Dursley's nephew, they kept the fact that the Potters were magical a secret. When Harry was eleven, and was retrieved to go to magical school, the Dursleys thought that they were finally free of the boy. That was not the case. Every summer, Harry returned to their home, albeit for increasingly shorter periods of time. Finally, the summer of 1997 came. That summer, Harry only had to be at their house for a couple of weeks to renew the wards before he could leave for good. Once the wards were renewed, they shooed Harry out and hoped to never see him again. That, however, was not the case.

On Harry Potter's 22nd birthday, he finally got the one thing he had wanted since his fourth year of Hogwarts: the destruction of all Voldemort's Horcruxes and the subsequent defeat of Voldemort himself. After the battle, he spent time recovering from the injuries he had sustained. Once he recovered, he started planning for the clean-up of the Wizarding World. He discussed it with Ron and Hermione, and it was decided amongst themselves to let the Dursleys know of the end of the war. At least they could relieve the Dursleys' fear of being killed by wizards a bit.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harry's boyfriend of three and a half years and the Minister for Magic, got wind of their plans to visit the Dursleys, and decided to join them on their visitation. One by one, the four Apparated to Privet Drive, and, hand-in-hand with their lovers, Harry, Kingsley, Ron and Hermione walked up to Number Four and knocked on the door.

A rather rotund blond man resembling a pig-in-a-wig opened the door, and, upon seeing who stood on the other side, scowled and yelled, "Mum! The freak is back, and he brought two other freaks and a nigger!"

"Slam the door in their faces, Dudders! I don't want them contaminating our home ever again!" screeched Petunia.

Upon hearing that, Kingsley slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his old Auror badge and his Minister for Magic credentials, and said, "Dudders, is it? Let us in, or you will be arrested and tried under Wizarding law, and trust me, you will not win."

Dudley moved aside and let the quartet enter. Immediately, they were accosted by Petunia and Vernon. Vernon was holding a pistol and had it pointed at the group, and said, "Get out of our house, freaks, if you know what is good for you!"

"Don't even try it, Uncle Vernon. One pistol against four fully-trained wizards, one of which is a former Auror before he became Minister for Magic, another took out the Dark Lord, and two of our group are Unspeakables… I don't really know what they do, but I am sure they have some nasty things up their sleeves," Harry said calmly. "I came bearing good news, and this is how you react. I should have known. However, I thought you would like to know you can finally move on with your lives."

Petunia had given Harry a strange look at the mention of the Dark Lord. "Do you mean to tell me the person responsible for my sister and brother-in-law's death is gone? For good this time?" she asked.

"That is exactly what I mean, Aunt Petunia. This past July, on my birthday, in fact, I finally managed to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort. It took us the last five years to track down some things beforehand, but we, that is Ron and Hermione Weasley, Kingsley, and I took out the Dark Lord and with him, all the Death Eaters. Now, would you mind letting us sit down like civilized people, and we can talk about what this all means, or do you want us to leave, and you will never be able to have any closure over your sister's death?" Harry asked, casting a subtle, wandless honesty charm.

"Vernon, put the pistol away. Please, do come in and sit down. Would you like some tea?" Petunia asked.

Vernon went and put the pistol back in the crisper of the refrigerator where he kept it before rejoining the group in the living room. Harry had conjured some tea and biscuits and they had settled in. Once Vernon had sat, and everyone had a cup of tea in their hands, Harry began to speak.

"During my sixth year at Hogwarts, I had private meetings with the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, where he showed me the history of a young Tom Marvolo Riddle, who grew up in an orphanage after being abandoned by his father, and his mother died in labour. With no friends during childhood, he became a loner, and had trouble trusting people in Hogwarts. When he found out he was magic, he assumed that his father was magical instead of his mother, because he thought she wouldn't have died if she magical. You know what they say about the word assume – you make an arse out of you and me – and he found that out when he could find no record of his father in the magical world, and found his mother's records instead. When he realized he had been abandoned by his Muggle father, he became hell-bent on seeking revenge on his father. He also sought immortality so he didn't meet the inevitability of death one day, like his mother had," Harry stated, sipping his tea as he spoke.

"Why would the headmaster think you would care about the personal history of this freakish Riddle boy?" Vernon spoke for the first time since sitting down.

"Don't you see where this is leading?" Kingsley spoke up. "Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort."

"I thought you said his name was Tom Riddle. How could Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort be the same person?" Dudley asked, looking seriously confused.

Hermione pulled out a bit of parchment, a jar of ink, and an ornate eagle feather quill out of her purse and leaned over the coffee table in front of the loveseat where she and Ron were sitting and wrote "Tom Marvolo Riddle" and "I am Lord Voldemort", drawing connecting lines between the letters. "You see here, Dudley? Vernon and Petunia? The letters in Tom Marvolo Riddle can be rearranged to spell I am Lord Voldemort. Tom thought his birth name to be too common. When he became hell-bent on revenge against his father, he became exposed to blood lust. The more he craved killing Muggles and Muggleborns, the more he thought himself better than them. He became enthralled in the pureblood supremacy ideology, and chose to ignore his own half-blood status."

"So it is sort of like the American Ku Klux Klan thing, right? I mean, the KKK was made up of "pureblood" Caucasians who thought that blacks should be eradicated, and the Wizarding pureblood supremacy people think Muggles and Muggleborns should be eradicated," Petunia asked.

"Er… yeah, basically. I never heard of that KKK thing, but yeah, it sounds about right," Ron offered.

"So, building up a bloodlust against the Muggles and Muggleborns, Tom began to build up a group of followers," Harry resumed telling the story. "He called his group of followers 'Death Eaters', and before you ask, I have no idea why, really. Then again, he always seemed a bit messed up in the head. He began to grow delusions of grandeur, and began to go by 'Lord Voldemort'. Eventually, his bloodlust got completely out of control. The first war, the one that got my mother and dad killed, began sometime in the early 1970s. Voldemort became more and more powerful, performing rituals that would increase his power, and increase his chances at immortality. In either late 1979 or early 1980, a prophesy was made by Sybil Trelawney, the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney. The prophesy was made about a child who would be born as the seventh month dies, born to those who had thrice defied Him. How did that damned prophesy go again?"

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…_" Kingsley supplied helpfully. At the questioning looks from everyone in the room, he said, "What? I have been dating Harry for three years now, I was in the Order of the Phoenix, and I _am_ the Minister for Magic, so I do have a little more access to things than people care to realize." At that, all three Dursleys spoke up at once.

"You've been _dating_ my nephew for _three years_?!?" Petunia screeched.

"What's the Order of the Phoenix? It sounds interesting!" Dudley said, for once actually looking like he cared about something in Harry's world.

"Minister for Magic? You? How'd they end up letting a faggot like you into office?" Vernon said disgustedly.

"One more racist remark out of any of you, and I will Obliviate your memories, and we will leave with everything you own, and then some," Kingsley said, casually pulling his wand out and laying it on the end table next to him. "Do you want to risk it, or will you quit spouting out your bigotry?"

"Dad, realize that if you continue making comments like that, you will not only lose all your possessions, but you will lose me, as well. To be honest, I never really knew what the hell was wrong with magic, or with Harry. I would never have done anything to harm you, Harry, or to bully you, if it weren't for Dad threatening me behind you and Mum's backs. I am sorry for how I treated you all these years. Please forgive me?" Dudley pleaded.

"I truly forgive you, and believe that Uncle Vernon would do something like that. And to answer your questions: Dudley – the Order of the Phoenix is, well, was an organization founded by Albus Dumbledore to help aid in the fight against Voldemort. Aunt Petunia – yes, Kingsley and I have been dating for three years now. I would have told you sooner, but I couldn't very well traipse away from the Wizarding World and possibly bring Voldemort's Regime to your front stoop. Uncle Vernon – Kingsley was unanimously voted Minister for Magic by the entire Wizengamot… _after_ he publicly declared us a couple. Realize, in the Wizarding World, homosexuality is as common as heterosexuality, because, with the right potions or charms, two men or two women can become pregnant. Now, can I finally get back to finishing the story of the war?" Harry asked, frustrated by the interruptions.

Seeing the Dursleys nod, he picked up where he had left off. "Sibyl Trelawney had made her prophesy about a child born 'as the seventh month dies', or at the end of July, 'born to those who have thrice defied Him'. Ironically, at the time the prophesy was made, there were two witches who were pregnant who had thrice defied the Dark Lord. Both children were born at the end of July. One of the children was myself, of course. The other one was Neville Longbottom."

"How do you know you were the actual child of the prophesy, though? I mean, if it could have been either one of you," Dudley asked.

"Think about it, Dudley. How many prophesies are there made in a day? Hundreds, maybe even thousands of them around the world. Why, then, are we not ruled by prophesy? The first portion of the prophesy was overheard by a Death Eater, and he relayed it to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord himself put the prophesy into motion by 'marking [me] as his equal'. Thus, since the prophesy was in motion, it had to be completed. It very well could have been Neville, had he been the one marked as the Dark Lord's equal. There was an enchantment in place that protected me from the AK that he threw at me. It rebounded and hit him, throwing him out of his body. No one knew how he survived. That is, except for one person: Albus Dumbledore. He had discovered Voldemort's secret Horcruxes. During the time of peace, we went about our normal lives. However, in my fourth year at Hogwarts, I was thrown into the Tri-Wizard Tournament as the fourth competitor. It turned out that our DADA teacher was a Polyjuiced Death Eater that Confounded the Goblet into taking my name as the only competitor from a fourth school. I made it through the first two tasks alright, as did the other competitors. However, the Death Eater manipulated the Third Task to where Cedric Diggory and I were the two that reached the Cup. We took it together, and it ended up Portkeying us to a graveyard in Little Hangleton. That night, Cedric was killed by the traitor that betrayed my parents to the Dark Lord, and Voldemort returned to a new body.

"Over the next year, Severus Snape tried to teach me Occlumency; it didn't work, and Voldemort ended up luring me and some of my friends to the Department of Mysteries, where the record of the Prophesy about us was stored. It was broken before he could get his hands on it, though. Also, Bellatrix LeStrange, one of the Death Eaters that helped torture Neville's parents into insanity, killed her cousin, my godfather, Sirius Black.

"In my sixth year, I had private lessons with the Headmaster, as I have already said. I learned the history of the man who became Voldemort, and I learned his dirty little secret: the Horcruxes, which bound him to this plane of existence so long as they existed. At the end of that school year, Headmaster and I went to a cave where he believed a Horcrux had been. There was one, but it had already been retrieved by Sirius' brother, Regulus. When we arrived back at the school, there was a full-blown battle going on, and Dumbledore ended up getting killed by Severus Snape.

"Over the next few years, Hermione, Ron, and I went searching for the remaining Horcruxes, and with Kingsley's help, we destroyed them all. This last July, we were finally able to finish off Voldemort once and for all. Now, here we are, and I just wanted to let you know that the War has ended for good, and you can go on with your lives without fear of the Dark Lord," Harry finished.

Petunia looked relieved that the Dark Lord was gone, and her sister and brother-in-law's deaths had been avenged. Vernon looked like he could have cared less about any of the "freaks". Dudley, though, was the first to speak after Harry finished.

"Cousin, I have a secret. I received one of those letters the same time you did. Mum and Dad refused to let me go, though, and sent me to Smelting's. I would like to learn magic, though, if you could teach me, please?"

Harry gave Petunia and Vernon dirty looks, and said, "Of course, Dudley. I would love to help you learn magic. Although, it would have been easier for you if you had been able to go when we were eleven."

Kingsley got a funny look over his face, as did Hermione. They both carefully pulled their wands, gave each other a Look, and cast spells.

"Stupefy!" Hermione called out, stunning Vernon and Petunia.

Kingsley cast a few diagnostic spells, and said, "They were magically coerced to treat you badly, Harry, and to refuse you permission to go to Hogwart's, Dudley. Also, Petunia has had her magic bound, and her memories of being a witch modified. Vernon has had a Hatred Curse cast on him, and it has corrupted his soul beyond repair. I would recommend sending them both to St. Mungo's, so they can be treated."

"Alright. Let's get it done. I want Vernon committed to a long-term treatment ward, Petunia to have her magic unbound and her memory restored, and, Dudley, if you want to come and stay at my place, you are more than welcome," Harry offered.

Kingsley sent his Patronus to summon a healer to take Vernon to St. Mungo's, while he unbound Petunia and escorted her there himself. Dudley, Harry, Ron and Hermione went on to Harry' and Kingsley's house, and finally, peace and normalcy prevailed on Privet Drive.

The End.

A/n: There will be a sequel to this in the near future. Thanks for reading, and please, it only takes a couple of minutes to review! ~~~


	2. Taking Action

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, Severus wouldn't have died, nor would have Sirius.

A/n: Obviously, this is no longer a one-shot. I dedicate this chapter to Potterdownthestreet and Suddensummerstorm, who both encouraged me to make this into a chapter-fic. Thanks guys for the encouragement! Hope you like the new chapter! There will be more soon!

Chapter Two  
Taking Action

Upon arriving at St. Mungo's Hospital, Kingsley and Petunia found Vernon fighting against the Healers violently, and he was frothing around the mouth. Every time a Healer would try to get close enough to Stun him, he would duck out of the way. He was throwing things, screaming, and by the looks of it, he had broken two Healers' wands, as well as injured the owners of said wands.

Kingsley threw a Stunner right at Vernon from behind, taking him down. The Healers quickly bound him and took him to the secure ward as ordered, while Kingsley and Petunia went over to the Welcome Witch, where Kingsley said, "My dear lady, I would like to know who can help me."

"What is the problem, Minister?" Molly Weasley asked. Molly had been in this hospital enough over the years, both as patient and visitor, that finally, she was offered the job of Welcome Witch to direct people where they needed to go.

"Petunia Dursley, here, has seemingly had her magic bound and her memories modified. I believe that she is not the only one to have her memory modified, because I was in school when Lily was, and Petunia here is only a year older than her sister, so she would have been in school when I started. However, I don't remember her ever being at Hogwarts."

"Well, you will need Spell Damage, nth floor. They will be able to unbind Petunia's magic and unblock your memories," Molly said.

"Thank you, Molly," Kingsley said, and he and Petunia headed off to the lifts.

Meanwhile, at the Potter-Shacklebolt residence, Phoenix Nest, Harry showed Dudley his room while Hermione and Ron were getting drinks and snacks set up. The four of them met up in the sitting room about ten minutes later.

"So, Dudley, you say you received a Hogwarts letter at the same time Harry did?" Ron asked tactlessly.

Hermione elbowed him, and said, "Really, Ron! Let him get settled and comfortable. He will tell us what he wants, when he wants!"

"It's alright… what was your name again? I don't remember you ever mentioning it," Dudley inquired of Hermione. He quickly pointed to Ron and said, "I know you are one of those Weasleys… your brothers gave me a toffee that made my tongue swell up. It wasn't fun at first, but looking back, it was a bit funny."

"Well, I am Hermione Weasley, née Granger. The rude redhead next to me is Ron Weasley, my husband of four years now. You obviously know Harry, and the gentleman we came to your house with is Harry's boyfriend and fiancé, Kingsley Shacklebolt," Hermione said.

"Thanks for letting me know who everyone is. Like I was saying, though, I did receive a Hogwarts letter the same time Harry did. I was stupid by telling Dad about it. This was the day that large guy ("Hagrid!" Harry interjected) took you to get your school stuff, Harry," Dudley said. "Dad hit me pretty hard and said I would never go to that school, nor would I ever mention it to anyone, if I "knew what was good for [me]. I was too scared to talk to you the rest of that summer, and over the next year while I was at Smeltings, I had several strange incidents like you had. I was made fun of a lot, and really began getting jealous of you. That is why I treated you so bad over the next several summers. I am sorry… so sorry…" he broke off sobbing.

Harry leaned over and wrapped his arms around his cousin and comforted him. "There is nothing to be sorry for, Dudley. If our situations had been reversed, I would probably have felt the same way. I am sorry for taunting you when I did, and I am sorry for how Uncle Vernon treated you. He is no longer able to hurt either of us, and we can finally get to know each other the way we should have to begin with. You are my cousin, yes, but I already think of you like my brother." At this, Ron glared at Harry over Dudley's shoulder. Harry mouthed, "We'll talk later, Ron!", to which Ron nodded.

Right about then, Kingsley and Petunia walked in from the hospital. Upon seeing Harry hugging Dudley, Kingsley said, "If I didn't know the two of you were family, I would be jealous about now."

"Kingsley!" the Golden Trio said, surprised at seeing both of them back so soon.

Petunia spotted Harry and almost immediately broke down sobbing as much, if not more than, Dudley had been. "Harry, I know what you must think of Vernon and myself. I am so sorry that I treated you so bad."

Harry stood and, pulling Dudley along with him, went over to his aunt. He wrapped his arms around her and his cousin (well, as much around his cousin as he could) and said, "There is absolutely no need to apologize, either one of you. I know it was out of your control. You are my family. Now we can finally be the family we were supposed to have been."

Petunia looked shocked that Harry didn't seem to care about the years of neglect and abuse that had been piled on him by herself and her family. She noticed that the redhead and bushy-haired girl seemed a bit upset, yet resigned. She decided then and there to apologize to them, as well. She knew that they were close friends to Harry, and must have been his surrogate family.

Pulling back away from the hug, Petunia walked over to Ron and Hermione, and, taking a closer look, noticed the resemblance between Ron and Molly Weasley, who had been a fifth year when she started Hogwarts. Remembering the proper customs for formally apologizing to a member of the Pureblood community, she bowed at the waist, exposing her neck and said, "I, Petunia Dursley, née Evans, humbly extend my apologies to you, Monsieur Weasley, and your companion, for how I treated my nephew over the last two decades and for causing burdens to be put upon you."

Ron, recognizing the gesture for what it was, rose and formally bowed back to Petunia. "I, Ronald Bilius Weasley, accept your apology on behalf of myself and my wife. By Merlin's mercy, you are welcomed fully into fellowship with us, and may you be blessed with longevity and happiness." A golden glow flashed as the ambient magic accepted their words, and Petunia felt a burden lift off of her shoulders.

Once again, the group got settled down into seats to talk. Harry and Kingsley sat on one loveseat directly across from the room's fireplace, with Ron and Hermione to their left and Dudley and Petunia to their right. Harry cleared his throat and said, "I would like to know what the hospital said, but first of all, let me get introductions out of the way. Aunt Petunia, the guy I am sitting next to is Kingsley Shacklebolt. He is the Minister for Magic, but more importantly, he is my fiancé and boyfriend of three years. Over here to my left, we have Ron Weasley and his wife, Hermione Weasley, née Granger. They are Unspeakables. To be honest, I have no idea what they do, but they are amongst the elite of the entire Wizarding World, to be accepted into the Department of Mysteries. Everyone, this is my Aunt Petunia and my cousin Dudley. Now, what did St. Mungo's say?"

"Well, it was as I expected. Petunia had her magic blocked and her memory modified. She also had some Dark charms placed on her. All have been removed. My memory has been unblocked as well, and as it turns out, Petunia tutored me during Prep in my first year. The Healer mentioned something that makes me suspicious. She said that the charms and spells on Petunia and myself 'tasted', for the lack of a better term, of lemon drops. The only person I could think of that the reference to lemon drops makes sense is Albus. What I can't figure out is why he would do something like that. What would be the point in it? He is lucky he is just a portrait now, because otherwise, he would be going off to Azkaban for what he did. Not only did he bind the powers of a magical person illegally and place illegal charms on a Muggle and a Witch, he removed Harry from his father and placed him with the Dursleys."

At the reference to Harry's father, everyone's heads snapped up and they looked at Kingsley.

"I thought Harry's father was killed at the same time as Lily was," Petunia said.

"Ah, but that is something else it appears that Dumbledore has concealed for reasons unknown," Kingsley said angrily. "James Potter was Harry's adoptive father, yes. However, his biological father, and Lily's true husband, lives on to this day."

"Who is my biological father? And why haven't you told me this yet?" Harry said, upset that Kingsley had held something so important from him.

"I just remembered it when my memories were unbound. Your real father is none other than Severus Octavian Snape. Severus and Lily began dating in their fifth year. Over the Christmas holidays, Severus' father, Tobias, said that if he didn't leave the Muggle-born witch, he would be disowned and killed. That is why he called her Mudblood and distanced himself from her. In their seventh year, after the death of his father, Severus apologized for what he had said and told Lily what had been the reason for what he did. He also showed her Pensieve memories of that exchange, and memories of how he had been forced to join the Death Eaters. She accepted his apologies, and they got back together. Upon graduation, they got engaged and then married. Soon after, you were born, and then came the prophesy. They decided to put on an act to protect Severus' spying role. You truly are both a Snape and a Potter, because James blood adopted you. As to why the Headmaster placed you with the Dursleys when he knew Severus was your father, I do not know. Nor do I know why Severus treated you so badly, although I suspect that he has had his memory modified as well as charms similar as what were on your relatives are on him still."

"Wait a minute… are you telling me that that manipulative old codger knew that Professor Snape was my father and still kept me from living with him?" Harry asked, fuming.

"Knew? He performed the wedding ceremony!" Petunia said. "It is taking some time, but my memories are starting to return completely and overtake the false memories that bastard placed in me. Kingsley, his parents, Lily's and my parents, and I, as well as several others, were at the wedding. There is no way he couldn't have known. Just like he performed the Fidelius charm for Lily and James, and knew that the rat was the Secret Keeper. Sirius should have had custody over you before us. Or Alice Longbottom or Molly and Arthur Weasley. The four of them were your godparents, and it was all documented in Lily's will. I know because I witnessed it," she added at Harry's inquiring look.

"I can't believe that that bastard kept that knowledge from everyone. I wouldn't have minded living with you, Aunt Petunia, except for those damned charms he placed on you all. I am going to go and have a long chat with a certain portrait," Harry said, rising.

Kingsley placed a calming hand on his lover and said, "Harry, it won't do any good. Albus is dead, and you are well past needing a guardian to live with. However, I will see to it that Severus has his memory unblocked and the spells removed off of him. I have already pardoned his activities as a Death Eater, as you know. Once he is back to normal, so to speak, we will have a chat with him and see what can be worked out."

Harry nodded and sat back down. "I am sorry that you had to go through having charms and the like placed on you, Aunt Petunia. I am glad we can have a fresh start now."

"As am I, Harry. Now, I believe the three of you and Dudley were having a discussion, or at least a love-fest, when Kingsley and I came in…" Petunia prompted.

"I had told him what Dad did when he found out that I was magical, Mum. He forgave me for how I treated, even though I don't deserve forgiveness. I will do anything, Harry, to earn my keep while I am staying with you, and to make up for all the stuff I did to you growing up. And I truly mean anything," Dudley said.

"I only ask two things, Dudley. The first thing is that you do your absolute best to learn everything that I will teach you about magic. However, Potions will have to wait until I talk to Professor… err, my dad. It will take a while to think of him as my dad. For the last eleven years, he has been the Evil Git of the Dungeons, Professor 'Greasy-haired' Snape. The second thing I ask is for you to leave behind all prejudices. I refuse to allow any prejudice about race, sexuality, birthright, anything, in my home. As a matter of fact, several forms of prejudice are illegal in the Wizarding World now. Just remember never to use the 'n-word' or any slurs about gays or anything to come out of your mouth."

"You don't have to worry about sexuality slurs, Harry, because I myself am gay. And I will do my absolute best at magic and everything."

"Good to hear it," Harry said.

"I am sorry, guys," Ron spoke up, "but 'Mione and I have to be in to work at five in the morning, so we are going to have to go. I will see you all when I get home tomorrow, though."

The group all rose and exchanged farewells. Once Ron and Hermione left, Harry showed Petunia to the room that had been prepared for her by Dobby. He also gave her and Dudley a tour of the house and grounds before they adjourned to have supper. Soon after, Dudley and Petunia retired to their rooms to get settled in for the night, while Harry and Kingsley went into their suite's parlor for a nightcap.

"It is so hard to believe that we went to Number Four just," said Harry, pausing to look at his watch before finishing, "six hours ago. It seems like a lifetime ago already. Aunt Petunia and Dudley are magical. Dudley is gay. Professor Snape is my father instead of James Potter, and Uncle Vernon is in the long-term ward of St. Mungo's."

"Actually, Harry, he attacked several Healers, and broke two of their wands. He is in the secure ward, and once he has the Charms removed, he will be on trial for attacking the staff of the hospital. I didn't want to say anything in front of Dudley, because it is his mother's place to tell him. It does seem like a lot has changed, though, doesn't it?" Kingsley said as he poured two glasses of Scotch on the rocks before joining Harry on the loveseat in front of their fire.

"My, _our_, entire world has been turned upside down. Why would Dumbledore do what he did? What is the point? All it do was hurt everyone. I could have lived with my dad this whole time, or I could have grown up with Ron and the Weasleys or Neville and his parents or grandmother, I guess. I don't know what would have happened if the Longbottoms had been protected properly, besides Neville having sane parents. At the very least, if he still insisted I be raised by the Dursleys, couldn't he have refrained from putting the charms on them and not bound Aunt Petunia's magic?" Harry rambled as he slowly started to break down in front of his lover.

Kingsley set his glass on the side table and enveloped Harry into a loving embrace. "I don't know why Dumbledore did what he did. Knowing him, he probably thought he was doing the 'greater good'. His idea of the greater good is… err… was rather perverted, though. You know he had been married to Gellert Grindlewald, don't you?"

Looking up, Harry shot a puzzled took at Kingsley. "WHAT?"

"Merlin, don't they teach you anything in History of Magic anymore? Gellert Grindlewald and Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore were married for fifty-odd years. However, when Grindlewald joined the Nazis, Dumbledore filed for a divorce. They ended up dueling to the death of Grindlewald, after he had killed Albus' sister and mother."

"That never came up in Binns' class, nor was it in our assigned texts, which I read cover to cover. However, it is going to be a long day tomorrow, and it is getting late. Take a shower with me?" Harry asked coyly.

Kingsley stood and took his laughingly-protesting lover into his arms and they headed off to the shower and then to bed.

TBC…


End file.
